Time Wanders On
by xTheODSTx
Summary: Alternate Timelines and their many complications are constantly being ignored, caution thrown to the wind. Even an innocent act of love can be considered selfish. We tend to lose the very concept of time when we travel to and fro. Death knows not a time, but that doesn't mean it is without one. When we overcome death, have we overcome time? Or merely denied that it WAS our time?
1. Ignite Us

**Time Wanders On-xTheODSTx**

**Lucina, stoic as ever, has been drilling Morgan more than ever. Morgan, dealing with the pain for the last few months due to their mutual lost, does her best to keep and look like it doesn't affect her like it does. Buutttt. Sometimes your best isn't what they truly want.**

_Just another day, just another day. Just gotta make it believable. Neither of us want to keep this going on forever. After, another match will definitely happen tomorrow no matter what._ She let out a sigh. _Its just how she is. Always training. Trying to forget._

"What was that?" Morgan was woken from her mental rant, rudely interrupting such a good point and was about to dive to even more specifics. But...her mom didnt need to know that. Ever,

_Quick quick qwwwuiicckk!Ummm..._ "I was thinking of dad again. Him and that selfish pride. Never could put it down it seems." _Ehh...not like I HAVEN'T thought that._

"Robi-your father was a brave and honourable man, through and through. Preferred his hand on his blade, and his friends behind his shield." The elegant princess sighed semi-dramatically, removing the few stray pieces of hair from her eyes. She chose and professionally brandished the wooden training sword like she had being doing it since birth...which honestly and obviously wasn't too far from the truth. Just add a decade.

Her opponent sighed in contempt, knowing full well she was just going to be massively disappointed with her own progress just like every other time before this. She used her bruises to help identify just how many times she might have...sorta failed.

_That makes about...9...today?_ She conjured this up in her head, counting on her fingers.

She quickly shook her head of these thoughts and put that trademark grin she had inherited from her father. THIS TIME. It would be different. She just needed to think of another approach.

If only she could use her magi-

"GO!"

Before she could finish the thought she blocked the oncoming of barrage of attacks without thinking. A mixture of slashes, plunges, and swipes. At random. She was definitely getting to use to this. As she parried the attempted stab, she flourished her own blade with a twist, causing the warrior princess's blade to deflect off of her own, forcing her to have to go on the defensive. The tactician in training smiled, finally having the opening she needed.

"_I suruurree hope this doesn't get me killed,"_ she whispered to no one but herself as she flung the practice sword as high as she could above her, causing to gaze at the action in shock and disbelief.

Morgan expertly whipped out her weak Wind tome as her sword spun in mid air, she saved merely for sessions like this one. Closing her eyes, concentrating, silently chanting the words quickly as possibly. She could only hold that sword in air for so long before she tired herself out. Lucina knew how this would go down, and pushed herself into a sprint before the girl could pull it off.

"WIND!" She yelled valiantly as the magic soared from her fingers, the power jetting outward to its intended target. This was it. This is what did it. Said target managed to pull off an amazing side sweep to the left mid-sprint, then leaped in the air ready to preform that hellish jump attack she was so prone to using. She had broken many a sword from this darn darn move of hers. That blade was coming straight for her.

_This is how it ends. _Morgan looked back up, catching her own sword in her hand when her fiendish looking mother right on her. _Whelp_, she thought, it was worth a shot.

Scanning her tactical brain for anything, she found herself using a technique so unconventional it just might work. She rotated her arm back around her, bringing the blade in an upward windmill slash. Praying to Naga that the counter attack that would be coming her way wouldn't bruise like the last had.

After all, it still stung when she moved her left arm.

The clunk of the blocks of wood coming into contact brought a new sense of hope into her, causing her to open her eyes in shock. She didn't even know her eyes had been closed. Opening them and seeing her opponent's face was also just as priceless, if not more so.

Either she acted with more strength and speed then she ever had before in her entire life, which wasn't exactly impossible, or the mere unorthodox movement and power caused the blue haired time-traveling princess to lose her footing, which Morgan took full advantage. She kicked around with her foot, making Lucina fall the rest of the way.

With a thud, Morgan stood over her mother, grinning triumphantly. Her cheeky smile causing the stoic Lucina to crack a smaller one in response. Lucina kept her expression til she noticed her daughter was quite enjoying her victory. The foot on her stomach was a clear indication of such. Her daughter let a chuckle escape her smile.

"Aww. How cute," Lucina started, causing Morgan to stop and glare at her ever so evil mother. "Your blade never made contact." Morgan was unexpectedly shoved away, catching her other rolling back to where her blade has landed, striking her battle pose once more.

"Seems that same technique comes back to haunt me, the princess flipped her sweaty hair out of her face. "Even now." Morgan looked up, having attempted to remove the dust from her cloak. She swore some of it had bled into it. If she was looking for a better explanation from her mother, she obviously wasn't getting it if she was taunting her to come back for more. Beckoning her with her right hand.

Morgan, wiping her nose with her forefinger of her right hand, straighten her posture. Taking a deep breathe, she took the first step, ready to take the charge.

"I wont stop til I get you. This time I'm not stopping." She combed her hair into her eyes, just like her father, giving her a hardened and tougher and messy look. Lucina could barely see her eyes til she looked back up at her. She swore she was looking into the eyes of her crazy husband once more. It was almost too much. "I have no plans of failing."

_THAT determination. THAT willpower. THAT devotion. Why must she be so much like you, my love..._

With a shriek, the drove forward to get the first hit in.

It ended with the familiar sound of a stalemate in power and aggression. Both sides merely pushing against each other, neither attempting to take the swing til the other gave in.

For Morgan, she saw someone that was lost and broken in her mother's eyes. Just like any other day. _Why can't I get you to smile like you use to when he was here with us. Why can't we move on, Mom?_

_F_or Lucina, Morgan's eyes read one who she took after greatly. Her very father. The great and powerful Hero-Tactician Robin. A person who was looking for who they were, but found security in fighting for those he held dear. She saw the love he gave in her eyes. She saw the suffering he carried whenever he felt he failed someone. She saw the pride he held for his new family in her green, petal shaped irises. It was scary. It was frightening. And... saddening.

Morgan noticed the first tear, her resolve shaking. She halted for ever a second. Maybe not even that. Lucina, sensing this, came to her senses, pushing her tactician daughter back, getting some space to open up more maneuverability. Both sides panting more from emotions than battle conditioning. Lucina with her head to the ground, Morgan thinking of her next stratagem. She was seconds from trying once more until her mother's sad chuckle interrupted every thought in her head. She had no idea what was going on. It didn't seem good no matter what.

"Sometimes..." Lucina looked into her eyes, and that's when she noticed the tears. "Sometimes..." She tried covering her eyes, hoping that it'd act like a dam and stop the coming river. She didn't learn that it never seemed to help. She let out a nervous laugh. It was so forced Morgan wouldn't be surprised if the attempt hurt. "Sometimes you are just TOO much like your FATHER!"

Morgan didnt even brace herself as her mother channeled her holy blood, her skin irradiating power as she prepared herself, raw emotions she held for months at a time finally surfacing for release. Aether. The devastating attack she shared with her father and younger sister Cynthia.

Morgan, calling on her own ancestral magic, her own skin imitating her condition, a fiery red aura shined off of her entire body. Many knew this was yet another copy she carried of her father's. Many didn't even really know the name. Well...I guess you could say the enemy never got the chance to remember.

Both entities eyed the other, neither was going to back down any time soon. Now it just came down the raw power within either of them. No strategy or muscle or conditioning would bring victory, only willpower and emotion would decide who was to come out as the champion.

Both of these attacks were yelled out, meaning to clash with other.

"AETHER" Lucina yelled with all her might, desperation evident in her voice.

"IGNIS" Morgan called out valiantly. She got this far. Time to finally one up both her mother AND father.

* * *

**A Everlasting Void. With the shell of Hero.**

Blackness.

Darkness.

A deepness that invaded the senses. Leaving one empty and void. Just like the space he inhabited.

Yes. This was his home. He was sure. He's always been here.

After all, he never knew anything else. At least, he didn't seem to think there was.

_I can barely keeping thought processes going most of the time regardless_. The entity let out a repressed sigh. For some reason, something told him that he had been holding it in for too long.

He found himself once more taking the environment he was in. _Hah. If you can call it that._

_Darkness,darkness, andddddd darkness. Wait! What's over there?!_

_Oh wait! More darkness. _He laughed at his own joke.

Something he had noticed and felt oddly comforting, every now he'd feel a pain in his chest. Would he even venture to say his heart? But it wasn't a physical pain. Well. It sure wasn't a heart attack. But he definitely felt a sense of pain there.

Regret. Maybe. He didn't know what he'd regret though. He scratched that one off for later, his head was too heavy for some reason. But that happened pretty often, so it didn't phase him.

_Guilt? Well. Regret could be considered guilt. Or maybe it was the other way around? How did that go anyways? Eh. Scratch that one off too I guess. I'm too lazy._

_Wait._ How could he make that assumption. He still couldn't remember his own freaking name for heaven's sake. Well. At least he knew this wasn't heaven.

Why did he have a feeling that he deserved to be here?

He found most of his thoughts, whenever they managed to come to him, go into that topic.

_No no no no. What had I felt just a few moments ago. It almost felt like it was...sadness?_

Sadness. For some reason he has an inkling that he should know a lot about that. He was getting a lot of feelings lately, he just couldn't narrow down why...

_Why?_

"Sometimes, you are just TOO much like your FATHER!"

He snapped up. _Well, I guess made more aware works too. _He looked off into the familiar blackness. Thinking that it would help bring an understanding of not only what he just heard.

But felt in his chest.

"But Chrom, we have to something"

There's that same sharp pain in his gut. But it felt more than just a pain this time. He felt a connection that was left unsaid by those voices he just heard.

_Why do I feel they are calling out to me._ _What do they want from me if they do..._

Want. Want. Desire. No. Not a desire. A desire usually doesn't hurt like this would. But when did he become an expert at these topics?

Longing.

Longing.

_Longing. That's a want._

That's when he saw a light down the valley of darkness. It was calling his name. Calling him home.

_For this was never my home. I never belonged here._

"What do you propose we do?"

_I feel them calling for me. I felt their longing. I felt their wish. And I shared their wish with them._

_For they were mine._

_My name's Robin._

_I use to think I belonged nowhere. That's why I decided to doom myself instead of my descendants. My family._

_I killed Grima when I refused to become him. Or refused for me to become him. I took it upon myself. I had to carry the sin of my fathers. Instead of my children doing it for me._

He couldn't tell if he had ran to the light, or if it was making its way to him. _Maybe we were running to each to other?_

He saw his family. Lucina. His wife. The smile she only bore from him. The laugh that he and Morgan only seemed to get out of her. He even made her giggle sometimes. That always made him swell with pride.

Morgan.

The embodiment of everything he cared and would die for. The very qualities he thought defined him also equally defined her. He was almost more stubborn than he. Almost more determined, almost more zealous. He felt both and pride an a bit of jealousy that they were copies of the other. She both bounced off the other in those grueling battles that had to come up with a plan to. Their mother and wife holding them when either needed the comfort and warmth.

He need them. He always knew that.

He needed them all.

_But..._ He closed his eyes as the light hit him like a blanket, the warmth coating him. The light then dimmed once more til it seemed to look like it had went to hang around to the fare left of him.

"I don't know"

His eyes opened. He looked as his eyesight returned to him. He felt a breeze. And even though he knew it had been a long time since he even remembered it existed, he could honestly say he missed.

He heard a gasp as his eyes had almost completely adjusted. He saw the Lord and Cleric he started that journey those many years ago. _Wait. Didnt they say those thing when we first met?_

"I see you're awake now."

_Oh Naga please tell me you're pulling what use to be my dragon tail right now._

"Hey there." _ Please don't giggle. Please don't gig-_ The blonde giggled at him. _Naga this time I will become Grima I swear I will._

"There are better places than to sleep on than the ground you know?"

_Yup. Its been decided._

"Here. Give me your hand." Robin grimaced and cringed. He wouldn't take it if he saw that unforgettable tattoo-not-really-a-tattoo-but-proof-he-was-the-Avatar-of-Extermination since birth.

_Maybe I'll cut it off with that sword I have. Pretty sure bronze wouldn't cause me to die of rust._

He slowly gave his hand to the young Prince, not daring to look at their hands, til he stole a glance at it. He saw its pure and brand-less skin as he met with his best friend. His brother and yet also his father-in-law. He couldn't help but smirk at that memory.

"Welcome back. It's over now."

The Hero-Tactician nodded, giving his old friend a firm grasp on his shoulder as he looked back at Lissa and nodded. "Not gonna lie," A chuckle left his mouth, the sound of his own voice almost scarring him to die once more and repeat what he just got out of, eternal darkness. "I thought I may have been stuck in a loop." The party of old comrades erupted into long needed laughs.

"If I did, this time you'd have to Lissa close a pretty nasty self inflicted wound," this caused Lissa to gasp as she raised her hands to her mouth. Chrom raised a brow at this.

"And why is that, my friend?"

"Because DAD...Id be missing that very hand you just so happily held onto moments ago."

"Huuuhhh." Chrom shook his head. "Well. Nice to know those unconventional tactics of yours didn't die with Grima."

"Always gotta have a plan. If your advisers don't get it, how can your enemies?" He put his hands behind his head, yawning, then did his first full stretch of his newly revived muscles.

"Its worked out for me so far. And I've been dead for...for?" He looked back at the exalt. "How long HAVE I been gone?"

Chrom let out a heavy sigh as he lifted a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, a headache obviously beginning its surprise siege attack on the young leader.

"6 months. 6 long, dreary, months of agony. For everyone." He gave a serious glare to the newly arisen Hero. And I mean everyone."

_She just may try to kill me again..._

* * *

_**Hello one and all! So I've been dueling with some thoughts and what not about trying fanfiction once again. I KNOW?! CRAZY RIGHT?! Oh well. Kill me.**_

**So let me go ahead and set the tone. Well. You know what I mean. In Fire Emblem: Awakening I have two main shippings. Theyre both pretty much at the same level. So I decided, why not write a one-shot for each? To get back into the swing of things!**

**Any old followers of mine,I am currently trying to remember what plots I had for Ash Ketchum: Rising of a Hero and Sapphire Desire. So far...I'd rather start from scratch really. But right now I dont even feel like doing that all too much. Sorry. There hiatus shall continue. For now. Maybe another time!**

**Anyways. My main shipping are CordeliaxMAvatar. And LucinaxMAvatar. Sorry. I love them both. As said above, kill me.**

**Anyways. I need to lay down some of these darn copyright things:**

**First off: I dont claim to own these charcaters. Just the plot.**

**Second: I have been reading every single Lucina Robin fanfiction out there. So if at any point I may start sounding or even seem like I'm stealing thoughts and lines, I apologize to you and the person. I'd love to shout out gokart48 in his work with BED TIME STORY. I freaking loved that one. Gone2GroundEX with his Time Matters Not. Again, loved it. Elyvern with How to be a Parent. I have so many others, really and truly, but right now thats all I have remembered reading. Chisel by JumperthreeDS. Cold Tea by dualbloodlines.**

**This will probably only be...maybe four chapter long. But I will probably make a more long term fic soon. Maybe. Its a strong maybe, but still goes along the lines of a MAYBE.**


	2. Blow Me Away

**Welcome back to Time Wanders On! Take a seat real quick, and I hope you enjoy your stay. I'd like to thank anyone who has given this a taste, and maybe you'll stick around! Please, if you haven't already done so, please review. I'm pretty nervous, this being the first thing I've written in years now. I appreciate your time and possibly future patience. BTW I already hit 206 views, and my mind is blown by the idea of that. Thanks to gokart58,after your review and some serious consideration, I have decided once this is finished, I shall make a more long term story of Robin and his journey of self-discovery. AND its possible this may become longer as well. **

**ANYWAYS! I GOT OFF TRACK! Let's get started from where we left off. **

* * *

**Ylisse Castle Grounds**

Cynthia pranced happily with her mother Sumia towards the Pegasus' Holding Grounds, ready for yet another lesson of flying and mount maintenance. Sumia smiled and giggled at her daughter's giddiness. She had a lot of her own passion for the beautiful creatures. Some of the natural talent as well.

"Will Lady Cordelia be joining us today mom?!" She saw her daughter struggling to contain that excitement, practically shaking frantically in place. Sumia tilted her head in amusement.

She shrugged at her daughter, but that didn't even change her mood. "I don't think so. She's suppose to checking on Chrom to make sure he doesn't get lost."

"I thought that was OUR job!" Sumia laughed at the peerless face that greeted her.

"Its not too bad sweetie. Look at it this way," she waved a finger in front her of her daughter's face. "We still have those pies covered." Cynthia squinted her eyes at this, fist pumping as they continued their march, shouting something along the lines of 'Victory pies.'

They ran into good ol Iron-Wall Frederick checking in with his recruits in the barracks, with him at the ready right at the door, bowing to the Queen and youngest princess in his full armor. Such a feat was common and not entirely unexpected, but it still amazed. Cynthia's gasp in awe, evidence of this claim.

"How does he DOOO that, mom?" Cynthia began poking the giant metal man like an infant child, a habit she shared with Little Lucia. "Wooaahh." Frederick coughed, causing the Flier in progress to become startled and gasp as she jumped back, looking up at him from behind her mother who held a hysterical laugh. This action causing the fearsome man to let out a heavy snicker. He nodded at the Queen.

"Milady. I trust everything is going well." He looked back down as Cynthia was once standing up straight, he hands at her hips as she rose her chin. "And you as well Princess Cynthia." The young lass beamed at the mention of her title, nodding up and down in a manner that could possibly break her neck it was so...Cynthia.

"We're off for another lesson in the importance of keeping our lovely anges fed and groomed for perfection." Sumia closed her eyes in satisfaction. "And to make them as gorgeous as Naga forbids." Frederick the Wary raised an eyebrow, but left it to lie. No bother asking unnecessary questions with no solid answer.

"As you wish. Let me or the other servants know if you require extra hands or the like." Sumia brushed it off with a wave as her daughter continued onto their destination ahead of her mother. The queen bowed respectfully as she was met with a similar response, rushing to keep up with Cynthia.

"Now to find Lucina to see how she's been taking things in stride."

Before anything else could be said or done, a sound resembling some sort of like an explosion was heard from what seemed to be deeper into the castle. If Frederick could guess once, he'd say the castle training grounds. If he could take a better one, he'd start leaning towards to the sparring circles within said training grounds. And if wanted to flat out make a direct assumption on who it was...well.

He'd probably be right.

* * *

That primal strike had caused that sound that awfully mimicked that of an explosion caused a shockwave of catasprohic proportions. With the same amount of energy that was the cukprit seeping and lingering from the aftermath. The whole was bathed in raw magic, it was felt by both parties. As Morgan's energy faded, she was faced with having to take the brunt of Aether's second attack. She was easily thrown back, the sheer force breaking her wooden sword into splintering pieces. Lucina's didn't look to good itself, the handle looking like it had been crushed in the panting princess' hand.

Lucina felt the air, the leftover potency of their divine ancestral power almost gave an unworldly texture to the atmosphere around them. It was tangible. She felt as if she'd have met resistance if she attempted to walk ahead. It was breathtaking. She swore she could almost taste it.

She cleared her head, breaking free of her trance to go check on her daughter, who was sprawled out all over the floor. Fearing the worst, she ran up beside and placed her head on her heart to hear a racing heartbeat. _Bless the gods, she didn't get too hurt. It'd have been devastated._

The random crazy outburst of laughter from below her ear caused her to let out a girlish squeal as she jumped back, terrified and slightly shaking. This only caused Morgan to laugh even harder. Lucina couldnt help but blush from embarrassment as she looked away. _This was worse than that spider._

"Hahahahahaha! OH GOSH! That was awwweesome." She looked at her mother standing to her right, with a grin that seemed huge, even for her. "When can we do that again?!" Morgan just went back to closing her eyes, no intent of getting up, that was for sure. Almost seeming to be relaxed, if Lucina dared to say.

Lucina eyed her daughter, then decided that they couldn't exactly bolt after that sort of "incident". She sat beside Morgan, wondering how this crazy blue haired vixen of a child could be smiling after what happened. I mean, their inner turmoil was now practically solid right now, laying over the battleground like a mist in the morning.

_How do I even go about explaining it. That it was overdue? Hell, should I thank her? Its been ages since I got some release from all this...this-_

"You said that umm...technique came back to haunt you. What...what did you mean by that?" The princess didn't bother turning her head, let out another sad dramatic sigh. Her peripherals allowed her to see that Morgan's demeanor hasn't changed, still having that a lazy smile. "I thought it was pretty clever."

Our favorite blue haired princess let out a chuckle that wasn't as forced as the others she had let out that night, looking to crush that smug look on her daughter's face, she felt the corners of her smile threathen to curl. "You still never landed that hit."

Seeing her eyebrow twitch, as well as that once smug looking expression caused her to go into a small fit of laughter. Hearing this, Morgan let it return as she left her eyes closed in peace, and allowing her mother to continue harassing her. Went as far as poking her in the ribs. That cursed woman.

"Hehe." She wiped the tear as her laughter died down. "Huh, your father did something very similar as you just managed to pull under my nose when I was in battle with him and his friends." This peeked the strategist's interest, causing her to look up and make eye contact with her mother, that expression of playfulness and...well. 'Morgan'.

"You mean to tell me you saw dad do what I just managed to come up with at random?" Morgan laughed, hands on hips. "As great as he was, he probably couldn't pull it off. I think I'm finally started to live up and beyond to his legacy."

"You always have." The mood grew solemn, the air gaining weight after just being cleared of that remaining residue of their little match. They made eye contact once more, and Morgan saw both that perpetual sadness, but also what she thought she could call 'nostalgia'. Lucina looked up as she recalled that battle t her eager blue haired monstrosity.

* * *

"What! How did you?" I ignored him as he stood there, gaping at the carbon copy of his own royal blade, Falchion. "There's no waayy..."

We charged at once, and if I knew my father, he was about to try to close line me with that leap-roll attack he loved to open with in his sword-clashes. I stopped mid-stride as he took flight. As he came down, I nonchalantly blocked him with no effort and counters with a swipe to his midsection. He slid his sword in the way, golden sparks leaving both blades as they ran against one another.

_"Well...this will be a whole lot easier than I thought it'd be."_ I found myself thinking as Chrom moved his way back away from me. "_I may have to tone it down a bit, I guess. Very well."_

"Where did you learn to fight like that." I allowed myself to shed a single tear as I found myself once again regretting to wear this god-awful itchy mask.

Clearing my throat as to hope it'd stop it from possibly cracking, I lifted Parallel Falchion and left it diagonal to my face as I attempted to seem intimidating, or more or less NOT a woman.

"My father!" And so began the next attack on the swordsman I received both name, title, hair, and sword of legend from. The same one who trained me. I could definitely see the flaws he hadn't corrected yet in his posture and his form. If I could parry a blow instead of blocking it, his recovery was slow and torturous. If this were a real fight to the death, it would have been over seconds after it began.

I half-spun quickly to the right, spinning as the magic blade was left at my side, returning it to its resting place against its brother, or technically itself as she stopped. I was surprised at how much he was struggling with this. Like he was...distracted. Like his eyes were trained on someone else.

"Sumia!" Hearing mother's name made me halt momentarily, looking back behind me I saw mother in her foretold majestic grandeur, her hair flowing as she brought her lance into one of the mages on the field, not noticing the Knight reading his javelin for that perfect shot.

I scoffed, as much as I wanted to intervene. I couldn't. I had to pretend it didn't crush my heart. That it didn't almost completely ruin me watching as that Man of War threw that dreaded piece of sharpened metal at her, and based on the trajectory, it was bound to her dead straight in the back. A lethal wound that would be fatal if it connected.

Right as 'Marth' was to shake it off and finally save my apparently helpless mother, a stray Wind spell knocked it out mid-air, as Iron-Wall Frederick pounced on Sumia's attacker, his Silver Lance not even seeming to care at the obvious amount of sheer inches in metal. After turning back to father, and giving him an abrupt kick to the stomach, knocking him onto his back, I pointed my blade at him.

"The battlefield is no time for distractions. That's why you lost." He eyed me, his gaze making me uncomfortable. "Its your own fault. Yours alone," I finished.

Chrom groaned in anger as he brought himself back up by pushing himself on his legs and jumping back up for what seemed to be another go. As he turned his blade in his hand, he channeled his anger into his next attack, which was easily deflected. He wasn't thinking clearly. He almost seemed like he had no real experience.

_"Maybe that's what happens when you know his every move from training with his future self AFTER he became a master swordsman"_

More sparks were flung through the air as I finally started to build up a sweat. It seemed I was finally starting to lose that edge I had due to my low amount of stamina. I had to end thid quickly. Maybe father was mean to lose.

Being knocked yet again to the side, groaning as he struggled against his sword as he tried to use it as some sort of leverage to get him back on his feet. Suddenly, I strange man came after finishing off one of my comrades for the match. Those men were so useless really anyways. Chrom was helped up by this strange man in a huge cloak that I could tell was foreign. He removed the hood from his face, revealing his white unkempt hair and solid green eyes, which seemed to be sizing me up. He turned at me,taking his sweet time examning me carefully and cautiously, but also as if I saying "You're gonna regret that." I found myself glaring as well. He looked hardened and experienced. Yet I couldn't connect a name with the face. Or the apparel. Why was a man with a coat of arms that I could have sworn was hailed from Plegia, among their numbers?

"I see you may need some assistance," the man said as he pulled out his sword, the tome of that previous Wind spell still in his hand. The bronze blade and weak spell must be all he had left. Why was I worried?

"Alright. I guess its my turn to have it." He brushed hair out of his face, making his eyes some in dead contact with mine. He smirked a little easily formy liking. "Time to tip the scales!" He was the first to move, obviously having the confidence that this would be easy for him. I was left waiting for the eventual clash of their blades. He definitely carried his weight, parrying instead of blocking. There was a sort of desperation from this first contact between us. Like I could almost see a part of myself in him.

An uncertainty, but one that brought action instead of fear. Like he had no choice. But he chose to make it instead. As our blades locked , I made sure not to give him any advantage or let him find a weakness. His sense of will intensifying, his efforts were becoming more precise. As if he was testing me. And was merely observing how I fought and handled him. His attacks became less varied. He would change patterns if one refused to bring to light any effectiveness.

This man had obscene amounts of will power, I could feel it through our very souls shoving against one another in this heated arena match. We both pushed back against one other, space finally being made between us. I didn't let myself stop,I couldn't let him know I was starting to falter. We both came back once more with each of us having a renewed assault. The cloaked man fought with an air of security, like he has always fought like this. Each swing easily rectified if I managed to dodge it, turning his blade in his hand to bring back around, leaving me in a defensive state. His attacks seemed to have been planned on...years ago. Like he had trained himself to counter every attack and parry every blow that I could manage. Is this how her father had felt just now?

I was woken from my...slight stupor to him once again in my face. Our muscles were stressed, as either of us seemed to really be going to knock the other back. I found myself searching his green eyes, seeing his white hair in his eyes, not hiding his will to win. To avenge Chrom's honor. Well. I guess I could label it as more of an ash color really. I shockingly admitted to my I admired those same eyes that came just now as a curiosity to me. Why was I suddenly focused on this enigma of a man.

I wasn't entirely expecting or ready for the sudden headbutt as he bashed his skull into my mask. I grunted out my pain, clutching my mask that had just pushed against my face in full force, as I was sure that it left some sort of bruise, or possibly an imprint. I looked back angrily at my opponent with a glare I found myself wanting him to see.

But his expression had completely changed.

He shared the blush I just know felt had found its way on my face from earlier, thinking it was from the stress of battle. His mouth was left open, big enough for a full sized griffon to make its nest in the opening. He seemed to be uttering something, I couldn't put my finger on what however. Then I stood there baffled as realization hit me.

_"My...my voice. He must have heard it. He must have."_ I dug deep into my energy reserves, reminding myself not to make a single noise as I brought down my blade once more, embarrassment and shame with pain and fury. He had managed to block it, but I used the opportunity to launch that cursed edge into the air. His blade flew from his hand, as I had successfully disarmed him. Victory was quickly approaching.

But before I managed to pull off another blow in succession, he launched a Wind spell at me obviously meant to just give him time, the magic sweeping me back a good few steps as I lost my footing temporarily due to the recoil of the spell. I yelled as I charged once more, noticing him launch another spell at me. He jumped as the words left his mouth, his hand already back on his sword, having caught it in mid air. I cringed from the sharp wind as it slowed me down, lowering my sword as it broke my intended finisher. With a battle cry that roared like a call of thunder, I looked to see this battle born mystery man bring down the axe on me, managing to bring up my sword only in attempt to save my life.

I found myself being kicked much like my father had felt my own foot just moments ago. I groaned in agony, my armor having pinched my back, probably breaking skin. I was seconds from ripping off my mask when I remembered where I was. I heard a cough, making me stir. I opened my eyes to see a hand held out before me. None other than the man who just shamed my battle techniques on whim. I starred back at him, still finding him a wild-card in this place. He beckoned me, looking for a response no doubt.

"That was quite a fight." I brushed myself off after he helped me up, only giving a nod as my one-cent. "You had me going for a couple seconds." He scratched the back of his head, a sheepish look crossing his features. He saw that I wasn't amused, his shoulders lowering in defeat. "Alright. I thought I was done for."

"That man needs some serious training if he plans to lead," I commented heartlessly as possible. "He's no better than first time enlistees."

"I don't think so. I think you just had more rigorous training. No one trains a man or woman to fight with everything they got and more." I fidgeted as I heard the 'woman' part. He held his hand out.

"Name's Robin. I'm glad you didn't kill me." He gave me a genuine grin reaching the edges of his face. "Well...not entirely anyways.


	3. Memories and A Hope of Return

**HELLO EVERYONE! WELCOME TO TIME WANDERS ON!**

**I usually consider fight scenes to be something I am actually pretty adequate at it. I take pride in it. Describing and imagining it...it's pretty natural for me. Now...dialogue and character interaction... NOT so much.**

**Everyone needs to expand, so I decided to not have a chapter with 2000 words being devoted to some crazy swordplay. As great and fun and...epic it is for myself, that's not what this story is about. So I get to suck it up. Yippee for me!**

**Oh, I also reclassed Frederick into a Knight then a General. Hence, Iron-Wall Frederick. In case any were wondering. **

**Anyways anyways anyways. Let's go to what we all are here for. Hopefully you have a helmet.**

* * *

It was not often Morgan heard a story where her unstoppable mother managed to lose her touch in a one-on-one sparring match. Hearing all of this for the first time, it brought a whole new light upon, well, everything. Mother didn't really mention the past with such an overwhelming look of melancholy and contentment in equal measure.

Lucina stood there, a glow seeming to capture her presence. Her heartbeat quickened at the warmth of happier times and better nights. She looked back at her daughter, his pride and joy, who had a look of pure intrigue and interest shinning on her face. Lucina mirrored the contagious grin out of reflex, hers paled in comparison, but still faithful and true all the same.

"Sooo," Morgan started, her tone teasing. "I seem to notice you took quite a notice to him, even then." Her eyebrow raised accusingly at her mother, a mischievous smirk and a playful glaze over her eyes. If she didn't know better, she'd daresay that such a question was rhetorical.

"If anything, your *simpleton* of a father is a natural at unintentionally claiming the hearts of hopeless maidens." Lucina carried a simple yet elegant smile, one that Morgan rarely had the opportunity to see.

"You do not know how weird it was for me to go from "barely being noticed" to receiving multiple death glares when we started to get our rations together. I'm surprised Tharja didn't manage to kill me."

"Is that when father had swept you off your feet, then?"

She was met with a nervous, embarrassed cough. "Not quite. We hadn't even thought of each like that." There was small break, trying to accurately recount how things had gone then. "Well. We have never shared such thoughts **together**."

"Whatever do you mean?" The intrigue once more getting the best of her daughter, another reminder of **him**.

Lucina facepalmed at the comment, not able to contain the snicker though.

"He seemed to watch his words around me. But that didn't stop the occasional outburst about how bad it was for me to "not have my own pillar of support to lean on", or "Just one smile can drive the worry someone has for straight out of someone. Myself included". He said such things quite often."

"We shall battle together," he said on when he trying to find new approaches with my fresh recruitment, "I've watched you fight plenty of times, and I would be honoured if we became partners. It would solve a lot of problems that way."

The time-traveler tried to fix the hereditary messy hair that her dearest had obtained from her Father. **Can never stay neat no matter how hard I try**. She decided to mark her memory for a shopping spree in the near future.

"We had a bad habit of being assigned to cooking and cleaning together, as well as our patrol schedules." Morgan's ears being attracted to the possibility of estranged gossip about her parents.

"After stopping the tyranny of Walhart in Valm, we started to see much more of each other off the battlefield. He made a habit out of making me understand his jokes by saying them more often and in a greater tangent."

"Ewww!"

"Huh? What is it, darling?" Lucina said with hint of worry.

"His jokes make ME cringe, Mother! And I'm his daughter. I HAVE to love him!" Both princesses got a good laugh out of that one. Lucina popped her daughter on the hand, although it was lightly and in good humour.

She paused, a smirk commandeering her usually stoic expression. "His excuse was: "I just love to see you smile. And hear your rare laugh. It's like to me what candy is to Gauis". Also, "Morale is important". He also managed to get that out."

"He blushed and tried to escape after he said that, didn't he?

Lucina could not contain herself, rapidly shaking her head as she collected her wits, reeling and complaining of her chest being in pain from laughing too much. "Nooo! Well...yes! But it didn't help what I had said in response.

"Oh no Mom. Dad can only take so much flattery before he shuts down...you should know this!"

"Well...umm. Yes, I do _now_. _BUT_ I didn't then, mind you." She cleared her throat, her hand clenched to her breastplate as she steadied herself. "I told him that I enjoyed his company. And that I couldn't see myself having such a great time with anyone else."

Morgan seemed to halt at this.

"Oh _Naga._..what happened after that."

"Well...he said he preferred spending his time talking to me. And that he often thought of me when he was alone and not busy with war formats and the like." She stopped, turned, and gave a nod. "_That's_ **NOT** when he panicked and ran off. It was I who got the final word in."

"Do I even want to hear the next part?"

"_I often find myself wanting to spend time alone with you as well."_

"..."

"..."

Both women fell against one another as they dove into hysterics. So much so, that tears found their way into the fray. This went for quite a bit, as both of their eyes were now red from the unrelenting barrage of giggles and laughing fits.

"That's not even all of it either!"

"No mom! Stop! I can't..._ugh_...take anymore!"

"He stuttered for a good few minutes there, and his face got so red I thought he had come down with a fever. Or perhaps a cold! I put my hand on his forehead without even thinking anything of it." She wiped the last tear from her eye, more threatening to poor down as well. "He couldn't look me in the eyes for a while as I practically interrogated him about what he ate at our last meal."

"WAIT! I KNOW THIS PART NOW! Doesn't he start sweating and finally takes your hand off of him?"

"Then he holds it without any words or comments, _THEN_ drops it like it was a wyvern dropping?" Morgan held her hands to her head as her mother continues to bombard her with new information she could potentially exploit. Her brain running every scenario.

Lucina only made this worse, as she was not quite finished just yet. "He looked right into my eyes, and that's when I started to get flustered. We just stood there, which did no good at helping me at all, as I slowly became absorbed by the breathtaking green that stared back at me."

"And there was _NO_ indication that he liked you?"

"My past experience's with the opposite sex was, in short, Inigo. Not a good impression to cover _everyone_." She seemed to shiver at this, but it didn't seem to cause her to forget where she left of at as her face seemed to glow in anticipation.

"We almost kissed then..."

At this moment, this pivotal event marked where Morgan literally could not stop herself from making the same noises Sumia made when she would watch Lucia. A range that went from _"Aww's"_ to the ramblings that Cherche made to Minerva when she gave her a bath.

"He blinked a few times, let go of me, and said he had left a candle on in his tent."

Morgan broke free of her teenage fantasy stupor, and merely tsked at her oblivious mother.

"Maybe you are just as oblivious as he was! And Dad is quite a dense little man." Morgan scoffed, not really surprised at all.

"The next day he mentioned he had been thinking of new strategies when he remembered the candle being left out. He wrote it off as him suddenly coming up with solutions to finding the gems for the Fire Emblem. And that it had gone off to being one of his tactician episodes."

"How dare he use that as an excuse! Those are quite real, I'll have you know!" Morgan humphed and folded her arms on her chest, turning her face to her left with an air of disgust and superiority. _An attribute that would make her similar to Maribelle in more ways than one._

Lucina slouched, the features on her face contorting painfully. An expression she seemed to have dropped oft of late.

"Yeah. I'd venture to say he _was _dense. But he was also charming. Always finding a way for me to break out of the walls I had built up to hide behind_," _Morgan easily recognizing the emphasis on past tense, regretting her choice of words, she tried to flip the tables and learn more about her amazingly ignorant tactician of a father.

Lucina's piercing blue eyes, the Brand of the Exalt catching the light as a lone runaway tear gently cascaded down her cheek as she dreamily responded, her soft and airy voice mimicking how distant in her thoughts and memories. A small escape from reality. Morgan caught on to the words that were not yet spoken.

"You needed him." Morgan continued, striking with utmost precision.

Lucina nodded, wiping her face with her hand.

"He allowed me to think." She shook her head, correcting herself. "No, _REALIZE_. That I didn't have to pretend to be super-human. I didn't need to solve everything. To bear all the pressure of a future that wasn't guaranteed. I didn't have to pretend that I had to rectify everything on my own anymore. I was able to lean on someone else. Instead of having the alternative: to shoulder the fears and pains of everyone else. Alongside mine."

"He gave you a sense of security you had never really felt before. A place which brought freedom and happiness through little moments like these" Morgan paused, flipping the growing bangs of her messy hair out of her face.

"..."

"Buutt things weren't always like that sweetie." She played with her hair haphazardly. Lucina's eye seemed trained to catch the attention of a stray particle of dust as it lazily made its way past her face. Morgan found this making her quite anxious. Annoyingly so, in fact.

"You mean before you two fell _helplessly_ in _lovveeee_?" Being met with her mother's familiar glare, she raised in her hands in defeat.

"It was the same night your father confessed his feelings." She stopped, exhaling heavily as if preparing herself for another story of her origins.

"He has a bad habit of bringing things up at the wrong time," a small giggle accompanied her words as she spoke them. "For being a tactician, he couldn't seem to use those abilities of observing and formulating correct strategies outside of the battlefield.

She put her hand to her chin in contemplation, humming a small tune. "Well. Maybe _just_ me."

* * *

He shoved the blade into its temporary home inside the bandit's newly-made chest cavity, the thick ooze of blood spluttering out, leaving its track as a lightning shaped wound in the bottom left of the abdomen right above the rip cage.

A look of surprise followed by a draining of colour in his face; the proof his life had been taken. Gracefully pulling back, the noise of skin, bone, and muscle against steel resounding as it escaped it's fleshly prison. Robin let out a breath of relief as he wiped his forehead free of its sweat, shaking his head exasperatedly at the similarities between now and his waking moments. He was brought out of his referee as Chrom smacked him harshly on his back, startling the Tactician to say the least, as he nearly doubled over from the force behind the blow.

Robin lightly shoved him back in contempt, a face of mock hurt that the pair were used to. They both shared a much needed, heart felt chuckle, with Robin wielding his ever-so trademark smirk.

Neither of them however were prepared, for as soon after. Lissa made her way, quite steathfully to Robin's apparent shock, smacking her brother in the back of the head with the head of her staff. Chrom whirled around and clutched the area of impact as the Grandmaster of Ylisse hunched over and broke into laughing sobs.

After receiving a kick that knocked the wind out of him, however, he fell to the ground gasping for air.

"That's what happens when you to run in to save the day. Gawsh did either of you learn ANYTHING in the last decade?"

Robin got up, inhaling deeply, scratching his kneck in retaliation. "I seem to remember Chrom's need for justice and my need to cover his recklessness taking priotiry." He pointed at the Exalt, condeming the man. Then pointed back to Lissa, who seemed flabberguasted at what he declared.

"YOU should know by now the importance family has to him." He would have been taken seriously if he didn't have the faintest lop-sided grin forming on his lips.

Lissa brandished her staff once more, walking dreadfully slow towards the revived Fell-blood. All jokes aside, Naga better be offering more lives at this point.

"It was all in jest! I swear it! Chrom, tell her!"

"What's that? I can't hear you! Must be the ringing from his same headache you're about to receive yourself!"

"I swear by the bloodline of the First Exalt that I meant no offen-OUCH!" He grasped his forehead, the pain easily spreading across. He found himself at a loss, he could have used this same idea as a battle formula. He always found her somewhat defenseless, that is, until now.

"And THAT is for my neice!" She stomped off, eager to resume the trek to Yllisstol.

Robin found his way over to his Prince, both still clutching at their newly appointed wounds. They both made jokes about how pathetic the other was, all in good fun. Robin realized there would be no bear meat this time around, meaning they'd either have to find somewhere else to rest and eat or try to make it straight there. No rest stops.

"How is Lucina, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Personally. I thought getting some time away from a vagabond such as yourself would do her some good..." Chrom's face went into a passive state, Robin now seeing what seemed like new wrinkles on his forehead. "I find myself regretting thinking such things so casually."

He sighed, looking off to the sun as it reached the position marking that it was around 2 p.m.

"She was devastated the first two months,Robin. The first was filled with a zealot's faith and a maiden's hope. The second was filled with a widow's sorrow and an orphan's doubt. She drove to improve her skills and abilities, the same way she did before you used yourself as a much needed distraction. But this time with more fevor, more resentment."

Robin hung his head low in shame, and regret. Chrom noticed this, and perked up. "Morgan has been a handful. More so than Cynthia if I dare admit it." Robin's head rose at the name, his face still at a standstill.

"She's helps keep my daughter grounded. Has had to endure quite the training regiment to do so." A smile crept up on the blue haired Lord's cheeks. "She had it rough as well. From doubting to preaching, she never truly gave up on you."

"I didn't know it would take that long, Chrom. I didn't know what was going on. How to speed things up. I almost regret making the decision in the first place."

"Robin, if you started second guessing yourself now, I won't forgive you. AND you won't make it back home to your wife either. That's not a threat. It's a promise."

"Haha. Still. It's so strange for me to hear you say that word so normally."

"Felt forced, didn't it?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

"HEY! HURRY YOU'RE SLOW BUTTS OVER HERE BEFORE I START ROUND TWO!"

The two grown men rushed their way to the sides of the younger, childish princess. Their newly found fear as intense as their love for their family.

"Still won't be able to call you dad though."

"Please. Never do that."

"Wait. Robin! That means I'm your aunt!"

"I will glady do anything to stop you from saying that word ever again."

"Hehehe! Are you suurre?"

"...I can't wait til this is over."

"Just think, your reunion with everyone else just may be as painful as those words!"

"Chrom, I have no problem with eloping with your daughter and moving to Plegia."

Chrom and Lissa both stopped, shooting daggers into the traitor. He started sweating, waving his arms frantically in denial that he would do such a thing easily. This however, did nothing to sway them.

"Robin. Remember how I said I could make it to where no one would have known you came back...?"

_Gulp._

* * *

**_I am SO SORRY I haven't updated this in so long! I'm practically rewriting this whole thing from scratch honestly. The plot anyways. I am so horrible at dialogue and getting in grammatically correct AND for it sound good. I hope you enjoyed this, as I am literally working on chapter 4 right now! _**

**_PLEASE review and tell me any comments, compliments, or complaints you may have! I love hearing everyone's opinion! _**

**_ALSO. Can't wait for FATES. I CAN'T WAIT TO BE A LORD/MANAKETE_**

Finished at 2:35pm July 7, 2015


	4. Draw your Heart and Stow Your Blades

"Why have I never heard this story before?"

The storyteller let out a sigh, coming out of her narrative.

"Well, this is not the kind of tale you would want to tell your only child, no matter how old she or may not act."

"Hey!"

"Anyways, as I was saying, we had just come back from our...*cough* meeting...with Plegia's token-royalty. My father has no real talent at being diplomatic, you see. He makes for an awful politician if I am quite honest. We were threatened by the King-Regent, who ordered Robin, your father, to take the Fire Emblem from Chrom."

She paused, coughing into her hand.

"To all of our shock, your father complied, although much like the sluggish, mindless Risen we had encountered, struggling to fight against whatever may have been meddling him at the time. Meanwhile, he groaned in agony and mumbling about some headache. He awoke with a shock, appearing to be even more surprised than we were, I dare to say. And I could not believe my eyes."

Morgan then let out an exaggerated gasp as she lifted her hands to push her cheeks together, receiving a pop on the head for her manners. "We managed to escape with a pre-written plan made by your genius father, who seemed to have trouble remembering where he was, or what he was doing. He refused to pair up with me, saying he needed to keep his head on his shoulders. He would occasionally collapse, and spit out strange phrases to something that didn't seem to be there."

"Grima was clawing at him from the inside."

Confirming the theory with a nod, Lucina went on. "At the time, that was the last thing I suspected. I had many thoughts I was racing through for answers, from anger to fear. I only saw a man that had practically stabbed us all in the back. Who I expected would actually resort to stabbing my father. His best friend. So I steered clear of him the entire time."

Lucina grabbed her daughter's hand, as if seeking support from it.

"It was that night, my father had already given out his passionate claim that Robin was one of us, and that the tactician would not fall for such a trick again, and was prepared for any and all obstacles. His trust did not seem moved at all. Mine however was beyond collapsing. It was decimated."

Morgan gripped the cold hand in both of hers, signaling it was all okay. Lucina met her gaze, and managed to have a minor grin break through. "You knew that much, but you were never told what came after."

"The feelings that had been growing as we spent time together now seemed like it had been a dirty trick. A ruse. A slow but effective poison that would stop me from what needed to be done. Paralyzing me. That, even though I had tried to prevent the future through the small acts I did, that always time wandered on, and that it always followed its original path. That fate was rooted down, nothing up to the task of removing itself from its fell clutches." Lucina threw her hair back, readjusting her golden band. Finding a more comfortable position for it, she relaxed, placing her hands in her lap.

"But that night, I was going to take action."

* * *

Absently standing far from the recesses of camp, thinking of past events that had previously unfolded, Robin couldn't help but wonder how the weather reflected current events quite well. The dark skies forming and looming above, ominous clouds black and foreboding. They mimicked the emptiness in his heart. The darkness creeping, contaminating his thoughts. With a sigh, he looked at his "birthmark", the tatoo on his hand. The familiar inkling of emptiness and lifelessness it offered oddly made him a bit comfortable now. He felt the pang of another headache, like a dull throbbing, as he began to piece everything together again.

_'Turns out I use to be affiliated with our current enemy. __In one way or another. My father? __Or maybe I'm a __sleeper__ agent? An unknowing one, in fact? It all seemed __per-orchestrated.__ I felt __this mark__ burn __like __a __Balogne __when Validar...Validar..._

Father. The current leader of Plegia. A devout Grima cultist. The enemy. His supposed enemy.

_That little snake! _With an angry cry, he kicked at the dirt below his feet. _That __sadistic bastard__! _ The irony behind such an insult was lost on him, the dam he built up, holding the doubt and fear at bay, threatening to break once more. He felt a faint surge of energy from his sword. The Levin Sword. Gangrel's parting gift from his reign. Almost like it was taunting him.

"I'm always on edge. I can't sleep. Can barely eat. Feels like something is always floating over me, I fear my own shadow! And I can't escape the fact I am helpless to get away from it all. The headaches also don't seem to want to relent either."

He heard the crunch of sand and crushed rock with the rustle of grass a bit behind him. He saw a faint shine of gold shimmer, no other blade able to replicate that distinct kind of glow. Assuming it was Chrom once more coming to try and give him a pep talk, he gave off a weak shrug.

"Should I expect another rousing speech from my liege?" He didn't bother turning around, preferring to look at the sun just now breaking free of the clouds. He sighed, clenching his fist as he couldn't stand being so helpless against time, against fate.

"We both know speeches aren't my forte, Robin..." A woman's voice. _Why is she here?_

He managed a half turn to look around to see her. The cerulean hair held in place by the golden band of her usual garb, the intricate design and texture still not coming close to her own natural beauty. It seemed like tarnished metal in comparison. Her beauty knowing no bounds, again losing track of time, much like whenever he allowed himself to steal even the slightest of glances. He wondered how he even managed to function at all when he was in her presence. Her solid eyes, the left holding the seal of the Exalt, tempting him to just get a little closer, pleading him to stay longer. To bask in everything he adored about her. To worship her like many did to Naga herself.

Robin cursed under his breath as he returned his attention back to the setting sun, the tension in the air deafening. He felt her gaze shoot holes through him, as she meant not to utter a sound.

"Crazy day, huh?" He asked, trying to sound convincing, but he found his voice choked and bland. Hardly comforting.

"Why are you so far away from the camp? My father would be worried if he found you had made your way here." He sensed no compassion or kindness behind the words. Much like their first introduction.

Like he was being interrogated.

"I thought some time outside, by myself, would do some good. Maybe clear my head. "He laughed nervously. "Which I obviously need now more than ever if we want to recover from this setback."

"I see..." A pause. To say it was getting awkward would be insulting. The current atmosphere was sterile.

He let out a sigh, hand being lifted to his face "...I also couldn't stand the unspoken words and judgments of the people around me. I heard only a few of their whispers. That didn't really help my mood much." He croaked out another laugh.

"Can you blame any of them?" Emotion finally seemed to break free from her facade, but only heard sadness and tears. Resentment. "They watched a friend give in to the enemy."

He was stung by the accusation, til he faced her, seeing the tears stream down as she hung her head low. He had once been the shoulder to keep them at bay. Now he feared that these tears...

Were aimed at none other than him.

She brought her arm to her face, that not being enough, eventually using her hand to wipe the evidence of grief from her eyes.

"I told you how Chrom was killed didn't I, Robin?" Sorrow. Bitterness. Betrayal. All of these would accurately describe what he heard through her voice. He couldn't help but flinch at her words, the undertone of it making his body seem to grow heavier.

"He...he was murdered by his closest friend..."

Silence permeated, no bug or bird dare to break it. The tactician attempted to open his mouth and comment, but found his words and intellect of no help to him now. He saw the irony of him saying it himself. He was at a lost.

He was as lost as he felt on that first day.

Robin had always had a bit of an issue coming up with rational thoughts when it came to Lucina. She could drive all sense out of him. He surprised himself how greatly she affected him. From a stray look his way to them talking of the silliness of their comrads. He couldn't help himself when it came to her. Caution thrown to the wind.

A small breeze made it way past them, his messy hair battered and thrown around as her just mildly flew into her eyes. When he thought of beauty, of perfection, her face would be the first thing he would picture. A canvas with no equal.

He wore no expression, lost in the expanses of reflection, as she unsheathed Falchion, even as he had a faint idea he knew what its purpose was in this. She finally looked up at him, a neutral disposition.

"Draw your blade, Robin."

He froze, not expecting to be threatened in such a decrypt and dry manner. Nonetheless, his hand found its place on the hilt, if only for the security it promised him. Never once pulling on the blade.

Flabbergasted, then enraged at the challenge, he shouted at her. "You can't be serious! "He yelled this, anger overtaking him. His hand never left the pummel, still it laid in its scabbard. "I would never take up arms against you! Or ever dare of hurting your father! That's what this is about, isn't it!" An accusation disguised as a question.

She apparently foresaw potential conflict, as she did not waver in the slightest. "I know you would never WILLINGLY kill my father! After talking with you, and spending those hours alone together, I know. I feel we share the same values; on life and morality!" Her words became more sporadic and shaky. Flimsy. Like she didn't want to believe what had already transpired. She was still trying to convince herself.

"You gave me the opportunity to feel something I didn't know was meant for someone like me, a woman lost in the throws of time: Joy, Happiness, Contentment." She continued on, seeming to lose her voice but not her tenacious willpower. "You made me feel special! I felt at peace for one if not the only times I've drawn breath. It not being once, either, but many times over! I'm struggling with this probably more so than you are!"

"Lucina," he reached his hand out, her taking a few steps back in response to the gesture. "Stand back!" She yelled at him. The wound it caused much like a searing burn. He felt his own tears building. "I... I can't do this! I care for you too much! I wouldn't even dare to defend myself from you, Lucina!"

Originally hoping that would calm down the situation and diffuse it properly, the opposite effect made itself prevalent. This only added more fuel to the wildfire. She shook her head with growing animosity.

"I thought you had honour! Or understood it at the very least! You should know me by now! I won't strike down an unarmed opponent!"

"But I am NOT your opponent, Lucina! I would never chose that! Ever! It goes against every fiber, every inch of my very being!"

This caught her attention, her hand loosening, her arm lowering. However, breaking free of her trance, thrusting the sword out further, she refused to lose her ground. But her voice was loosing its former edge.

"But Validar! Your father! He holds something over you! Whether bone or curse! He controls you! You are at his mercy!"

Once more ripped apart by the claws of one of his migraines, he instinctively relinquished his sword from its resting place. Muscle memory born of flight-or-fight, unaware his hand now held it in a death grip. "I couldn't help myself! For me, I was fighting a headache! Aghh!" He was spurred on, anger now being laced into his words. "...Next thing I know, the Emblem went from my hands to that good-for-nothing tyrant's!" His eye was twitching as he went to push his hand against the front of his head, leaving his right eye open to study her.

She took two steps to her left, her eyes never leaving his. Still scanning them. As if looking for an answer still.

"See? You couldn't help yourself Robin. He is the puppet master, you the unwilling puppet. You have shown you can't fight against the strings that tie you two together."

Robin felt the veins in his head bulge at this. His sword sparked to life, making its presence known to the cornered and frantic tactician.

"I also can't go against you either, it seems!" He threw down the Levin Sword, the energy pulsating and shooting out as it bounced to the ground, soon falling silent.

"I don't want any of this! I hold you, all of you, in my hearts! Is it so hard to believe that I'm doing my best not to give up, even _now_!"

He didn't allow an answer."Your father practically adopted me into his family, for I didn't remember having one! He became my friend, because I didn't remember the feeling of one standing by my side!" He said while pointing off into the distance.

He pointed at her, holding his ground."Your mother! Sumia! She gave me those terrifying hugs that made me squirm cause I didn't know the warmth and comfort they offered!" He shouted as he grew more passionate. " Your aunt Lissa taught me to relax more, cause I didn't know what being overworked meant!" Hands now clenched, balled and to either side of his face, determination and need for the preservation of his honour spurring him on.

"I felt so empty, so alone, like I didn't belong anywhere. But you all gave me something I doubt I would have even experienced before I woke up in that open field. I still feel like I don't belong, yes. But without you guys, I may have willingly done all of those things I did in YOUR future!"

He put his hands to his head, akin to a madman collecting his thoughts as he started pacing. He screamed, and threw himself onto the ground.

"And you," bringing his face up to look at her, maybe for the last time, a bittersweet smile etched onto his dirt-ridden face. "You offered to me more than you know. The ability to look forward to the next day, as long as it meant seeing you again. To find lapses in my schedule for me to simply ignore my troubles with you. That's why it hurts so much here," he put his palm to his chest, then brought it up to his forehead as his voice cracked. "When you come at me, calling me a murderer. And look at me with such disdain."

Lucina was caught off guard, fighting against the blush battling for control over her features. She stuttered, shaking her head free of such trivial matters.

"I must do this Robin!" She proclaimed with despair. "Chrom is the only one who can end this! I must be willing to sacrifice everything to prevent what is to come! Even my own happiness! My own feelings!"

Robin struggled to his feet, mumbling, although she could faintly hear the words.

His voice was as shaky as his legs, tears flowing freely with reckless abandon. "First, Donnel sacrifice's himself to save me for leaving my left flank open. And loses an ear." He picked up his weapon, though he struggled as his tears blocked his vision.

"Gauis get's wounded to take that hit that was meant for me by Walhart," Robin sobbed as he layed the sword horizontally in both of his hands. "Having to be fed mush through a straw as his stomach is still healing from the stitches having to be reapplied every other day. Now to think, I am just some..._entity _that can be used and discarded by our true enemy. A tool. A weapon."

He left himself open, not putting up his usual battle stance as he struck the blade into the soil, it standing erect as a monument to a metaphor. A metaphoric white flag, a sign of surrender.

"To make things worse." He paused, taking a deep breathe in for preparation. "Now I am to believe I must fight the very woman I fell in love with, if I want to live."

His mind cleared instantly as the words caught up to his brain. Shock and embarrassment now overpowering the strain the migraine once crushed him under. The tears grinding to a halt, as he saw the princess stand there with mouth wide open.

_She heard me? No no no. NOOOO!_

He jumped to the side, springing into a full-fledged sprint as he ran off down the hill. He heard her gasp and yell out his name as he raced onward, sparing no thought as his legs carried him deeper.

He looked up, the gears in his head once again turning as the ones in his legs kept him going. Despite the situation, all that came after was horror. How stupid could he be? This wasn't how it was suppose to happen. Not at all.

"Robin, come back!"

He bolted towards the woods, her words making him aware of how close she was to him. Not even thinking of where he would go, he broke through a bush, the thorns stabbing at him in his attempt to lose her in the forest.

Back to camp? No, he would seem even more suspicious than he probably already appeared to be. Maybe he could just hide somewhere for a bit. So he could actually think about what transpired.

"Robin! Wait!" He heard the trees behind him rustle with life, the princess still on his tail. He took a sharp right, almost tripping over a large log that lay there as he steadied himself. A branch wacking him in the face, blinding him temporalliy as he winched in pain. He pushed himself harder, needing to get away. His blood racing through his body as quickly as his frantic thinking patterns.

_How could I let that slip out so nonchalantly. And so abruptly? Why am I so lovestruck that even now all I want to do is now what she's thinking?_

_Why am I even running? Am I just a coward? Still afraid of rejection._

_That back there was hardly a confession._

"Robin, stop!" He snapped back into reality, barely getting out of hands reach as he heard her hand barely make contact, the force of wind behind it frightening. He turned to see her charging him in his peripherals, cheeks hot from the chase. And he thought Lon-qu was fast.

"ROBIN! I need to talk to yo-" with a loud yelp, she tripped over a root that caught her foot. She clasped onto the back of his hood as a lifeline, causing him to fall alongside her, landing on his back with a thud and a very loud and rude curse, followed by a complaint. Lucina blushed at his language, but her face grew hotter as she pushed herself back up with her arms to assess her new situation.

She was looking down at the ashen haired man, with the eyes that reflected the beauty of nature: the colour green. She fell silent, her mind betraying her at such a crucial moment. He stuttered, barely able to make sentences, their eyes interlocked. He began to stir beneath her, easily as anxious as she was. Her heart racing so, that he probably would have been able to hear it. Fearing he would run again, she spoke up. She knew this wasn't an ideal situation, but she could not stop now.

"I wah-was afraid. Afraid that...that I was wrong. Or worse, you were simply showing me a kindness that you showed for your friends. That I selfishly desired...for myself." The more happy breed of teardrops began forming, a laugh of nervousness and embarrassment escaping as well.

She cleared her throat, unable to stop herself now. "I held you in my heart just from our second conversation amongst ourselves, but with that came doubt and worry. For I never experienced such things in my lifetime." She chuckled, looking away from his eye momentarily. "I even asked my mother about the feelings I harbored. I feared becoming another Cordelia."

She looked back at him, seeing him captivated, all his attention on her. Battling her uneasiness with such things, she quickly faced away as she tried to escape his gaze as he did not even attempt to relieve her of her predicament.

She heard him struggle to get up, but instead of standing, he plopped on the ground in front of her, their faces dangerously close as she could feel the air from his nostrils..

Again. She couldn't help but feel like the many characters in her mother's more scandalous novel choices as she felt his hot breath on her face.

"Gods, I am such a fool..."

She lifted her face, bringing her attention back to his eyes, and found his were locked on her lips, her smile that she could not contain for the life of her growing still. She became acutely aware of their faces inching closer together. She saw his eyes close, in preparation for what was to happen next, the way time slowed making her tense and antsy. She had no idea what to do, but felt herself gradually gravitating to meet his. Forces unseen hellbent on making her lose her usually sound mind to a mess of hormones and wild emotions. To lose her senses as she longed for him to ease her concerns, once more. She followed his lead, eyes closed, as she felt every nerve tingle in anticipation.

Their lips made contact, the lightness and the pure innocence of the touch electrified her, her gut preforming somersaults. Simple, but also mind-shattering. She felt her senses explode, heighten, and collide. She felt an immense amount of pride when he hummed in contentment, the air coming through his nostrils tickling her face. She did her best to refrain from giggling. Nothing else mattered at this point. The fear she knew and felt at every one of her waking moments vanished with thoughts of him overtaking them. The doubt she had of herself and her struggles, even of him and her, ceased to be. Regret, well...not doing this sooner counts, correct?

Robin felt that knot in his stomach dissipate as they met in the most simple of the more intimate methods. Having no past experience, or none he could call upon, he didn't know of anything quite so sweet. So natural and freeing. He couldn't help but sigh at the contact, the euphoric rush akin to nothing he had ever divulged in. The fog in his head clearing, his only thoughts of her. Lucina. The headache no longer hammering against him. He felt no worry. No pain. No sorrow. He felt as if this was the happiest he had ever been. He brought his hand to her cheek to deepen the kiss, lost in the beauty that was Lucina.

After only a few seconds, they parted, foreheads leaned up on the other's. Lucina giggled softly as Robin reached and held both of her hands in each of his own.

"You have no idea how much that...this...means to me, Lucina." He stared lovingly into her eyes, a smile unlike any she has ever seen appearing in front of her. She felt herself become giddy to be the only one to ever be able to see it.

"I am sorry I went into this so irrationally, Robin. I was scared. In more ways than one, obviously."

Robin's right hand left hers as he squeezed her face, lovingly grabbing her attention, quite literally. He laughed. Simple. Yet light. Unburdened. A rare treat considering the last couple of days, if not weeks.

"You know how hard it is to think up plausible tactics when you're thinking of using a new joke and pick-up line for your next chance encounter with a lovely princess..."

"Ohhh." She smirked at him, pulling back a few inches. She knew it'd be too much for his liking. "So Lissa catches your attention then?"

She wasn't ready for him to so casually pull her against him for a second kiss. Her argument and wit smashed and broken as he pulled away once more, his hands not leaving her sides. He left her speechless and face too hot for her liking. She slapped his shoulder in spite, smile breaking through regardless.

"Please. I'm sure she doesn't have these wonderful eyes I find looking back at me. The devotion and love, along with the pain I see now. The enchantingly deep blue I get lost in every time they come my way. The same ones I want to find staring back at me when I wake up each and every day. To know that the one who belongs to them, looks at me the same way I do her. The very same pair that I desire to see at every chance I get." He pulled a few strands from her tangled hair into his hands. "Who also has such...amazing hair ." He said with a sniff.

"I think I remember you once mumbling about how I smelled."

Rambling and fragments of sentences was all she was left with as he tried to find a correct answer. He gave up, his shoulders falling as he leaned over in defeat. " I still was never able to figure out the scent either. But yes. I think you smell delightful."

"Would you like to know the name of the fragrance? I get it from my mother actually. She is so adept at such things."

He clutched her hand in his, looking at how easily they connected and molded together. The act causing the butterflys to return, though he did not wish for them to leave. The action making his stomach shuffle, the warmth easing the previous panic that inhabited him. He felt like he'd fight every day of his life for just another moment like this one.

"I say we leave that as a mystery for now, princess." She kissed him on the cheek, him holding her there as the sun's last light reached out to them. As if begging for tonight to not be its last. He made his promise here: That he would not only stop her future from occurring, but preventing himself to become its author as well.

Cutting the more solemn realm of thinking short, he leaned back, prompting himself up with his arms behind his back, palm's to the grass and dirt. "I plan on figuring out every one of yours. From how to make you laugh to how to make you squirm." He reached and poked her in her rib cage, causing a girlish squeak to emit from her, reaching to protect her side's from the offender as she left her mouth wide open in shock.

"Luckily I already know the latter."

"But...but...?" She looked ready to jump up and flee. He held his stomach as he belted out a chorus of unhindered laughter, her expression only worsening his condition.

"Turns out Owain gives out very reliable information if you listen to his stories hard enough."

"Robin!"

"You are absolutely adorable when you are like this." He said as he grinned mischievously.

"It's not too late for me to smite you down, you realize."

"Nah. It's pretty hard to do that when your family heirloom isn't anywhere to be found, I would say."

, just now noticing she must have dropped Falchion when she went and bolted to chase after him. She stood up and started to look about, embarrassed at her carelessness as she tried to figure out where they had started. Having no luck, crestfallen, she was seconds away from plopping herself next to the snickering man-child.

They deadpanned as a famialr voice rang out about them, not able to tell where it originated from.

"Lucina! Robin!"

The two looked toward the blackness of the forest in the direction the voice came from. When the young Exalt burst into their vision, Robin flew back in fear as Lucina cowered behind him. Chrom shaked his head violently, the odd twig or two falling out as he quickly apologized, having Parallel Falchion and Robin's Levin Sword in his hands. He smirked as he handed the blades to their respective owners, not aware of their nervous and embarrassed states. Lucina adamantly apologized for the mistake while Robin gave a forced, and frantic nod thank you.

"Father, wah-how did you know we were here?"

"Simple, I followed you when you left camp. I feared something was amiss, so I kept myself hidden. I assumed that you two were working out some of your differences, so I did not intervene. I only heard a spare amount of what had been said before you two up and left me to climb out of those bushes, my cape got snagged on the damn things..."

The Exalt sighed, with Robin seeming to relax a great deal. He must not have heard about the more _important_ and the rather potentially life-threatening things that could cost him if his Lord had not been occuiped. He look over to his best friend's daughter, whose face was still flushed from the previous events. He gave her a comforting smile and slight nod, hoping to bring some relief as she desperately looked away from him, almost causing him to laugh at her bashfulness. She was way too cute when she couldn't hide her mortification, face scarlet in discomfort. Chrom either payed no mind, or did not notice as he complained of some bug that seemed to be caught in his hair, resulting in Lucina screaming and jittering away from him. He laughed breathlessly as Chrom asked for her assistance in the matter. He received no help in his plight as Lucina avoided him at every turn. The tactician was relieved things seemed to be going back to their special brand of normal.

* * *

"How did grandfather react to you guys?" Morgan wiped her eye free of the tear from her insistent laughter. She saw the blush during about half the story, meaning to take full advantage of the new-found ammo she had been granted.

"Well, my father is very oblivious to these kind of things. And I wish I was over-stretching myself when I say such a statement. He found us there sitting on the ground, and thought we were finally coming to terms with our 'friendship'."

"Wait, what?"

She smiled, and giggled shortly after. Telling Morgan how Chrom had believed he had been quite the expert at eavesdropping.

"So, he either you guys had confessed and practically agreed to be married right before that little make-out session, or he is as dense as Kellam's armor looks."

"Actually, Kellam's armor is really light, from what he's told me. Says it helps keep him incognito and mobile that way."

"...you missed the point, Mom."

* * *

**Have you ever looked at your writing and just thought... "has it been getting worse, or easier to understand?"**

**Either way, thanks for coming to the fourth chapter of Time Wanders On. WE FINALLY GOT TO THE MENTION OF THE TITLE!WHOOOO! TOOK A LONG TIME. It was small, but I'll be honest. I put in there by instinct. Only later when I was revising this did I notice it. I was like "GO ME".**

**Also. I was going for a scenario I always wanted to see happen, where Robin and Lucina actually confess during the Judgment scene! If this has happened before, I am sorry, I haven't seen it written, and I do not or plan to steal your idea/s.**

**Thanks to gokart48 for reviewing the last chapter, I really do appreciate it, even the small things! So please do me a favor, relieve me of my fears, and tell me your thoughts! I love any kind of review. Heck. Even "Eww. Lucina" would work! I want to hear your thoughts considering I literally put my all into this one chapter! Tank you, berry mulch.**

**Ken-pai would like to give thanks for dropping by. Whoa, that rhymed!**

**Last Revision: 8/1/2015 at 5:03am**

**LONGEST CHAPTER I HAVE EVER WRITTEN. COMING UP TO 5,171 WORDS!**

**By the way, sorry about the horrible romantical stuff. It's not my forte. Hopefully I'll get better. Hopefully xD**

**9/13/15 I honestly forgot I had finished this. I have been busy with college and I as hoping to fix up the first two chapters before uploading this one, but, that Bed Time Story update reminded me this little thing was already done. SOO...I submitted it!**


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